“Hello,” the Gnome said, “I’m—”
“That’s Frank,” Maria interrupted. “He’s a cousin from Canada.”
The eyes of the other wanderers pinged back and forth from Maria to Joe.
Surprisingly—well, really unsurprisingly, because Joe was such a polite man—he bent down at the knee and stuck his hand out to shake Gelbus’s.
“Hello, Frank, pleased to meet you. I’m Joe. I’ve never been to Canada, but I hear it’s nice.”
Confused, all Gelbus could do was smile and nod. “Yes, it’s quite lovely.”
Maria bowed her head. Dammit. He doesn’t deserve this. If I’m ever going to make it work between us, I have to tell him the truth. Rules be damned. After all, they’re meant to be broken, aren’t they?
“Joe,” she said, stepping forward, “I haven’t been completely honest.”
Now Joe got up and looked at Maria with an arched eyebrow. The tension in the air was thick. The other wanderers shifted uncomfortably on their heels.
“I’m a witch, and Frank isn’t Frank—he’s Gelbus and he’s a Gnome from another planet called Oriceran, where I was born.”
Joe’s face went blank.
“Joe?” Maria asked.
“I—uh, that’s not funny, Maria.”
Maria looked to her grandfather, who could only shrug.
“I’m not joking.” She drew on the magic emanating from the Kemana not too far away, allowing it to run through her. A blue glow lit up the side of the garage.
Joe’s jaw dropped open.
“What the hell?” he said, his voice distant. Then, as if some invisible force had just clobbered him over the head, Joe rocked and swayed, his knees quivering, and fell backward into Gramps’s arms.
Gramps smiled. “He took it better than most.” He looked to Salem. “Care to help, old friend?”
Salem nodded, and they lifted Joe up.
“Come, come, we have much to discuss,” Gramps said.
Maria couldn’t say anything. She was just as shocked as Joe was—well, maybe not quite that much.
“And what better place to discuss it than over some buckeye ice cream?” Gramps continued. He tilted his head back and looked up to the darkening sky. Like a wolf he barked at the moon, but instead of a howl, he yelled, “WUEEEEEE!”
After Salem and Gramps loaded Joe into the backseat of his Honda Civic, Maria caught her grandpa by himself.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Oh, for what, dear?”
“For showing Joe that I’m magic. I know we’re not allowed to expose our magic to normal people.”
Gramps waved his hand. “Ah, a silly rule, if you ask me. Sure, most will not accept the fact that magical beings live among them in secret, but whose fault is that? I, for one, am a firm believer in the fact that everyone has a little magic ingrained into their DNA, though they may not show it. Look around.” He swept his hand out over the neighborhood. A squirrel climbed a nearby telephone pole and Sherlock was under it, barking his head off, waiting for the squirrel to fall. It seemed like the squirrel was teasing the poor Bloodhound. “This thing we call life is magical. The trees are magical, the roads, the cars, the sky and the stars. If one can wake up each morning without any clue as to why they are here and accept that fact, then they can surely accept witches, wizards, trolls, other worlds, and so on, don’t you think?”
Maria didn’t answer.
“There is always the option of wiping his memory, but I think it's best we don't. For your future's sake.”
Maria smiled.
“I know that may be confusing, but a wizard doesn’t always have to make sense!” Gramps returned the grin.
Nodding, Maria thought, That’s one thing I’ve definitely learned in my nineteen years. Gramps rarely makes sense. I think that’s how the world should be, though.
“Now, it may take Joe a good while to come around to the idea of all this, but I think he will. If he truly cares for you as you do for him, he will. Mark my words, sweetheart.”
“Did I do the right thing?” Maria asked.
“That is not up to me to decide, Maria. It is up to you.” Gramps tapped his chest right above his heart. “What does your heart say? You must listen to it when you ask such questions.”
Maria listened. “It says…I did the right thing.”
Gramps smiled. “Then all is right with the world.”
Before leaving for Salem’s Ice Cream, Gramps and Maria went into the house. Maria changed her clothes, glad to be out of the foul-smelling, singed garments and in something clean and comfortable. Sherlock ate a bowl of dog food; only half a portion because he said it was time for him to get back in shape. Speedos and beaches and all that…
When they all gathered in the driveway, Gramps had a small chest under his arms. Maria was wondering what could be inside when the garage door rolled up, and she saw the Firebird; its headlights looking at Maria, saying, ‘Drive me, drive me, please!’
Gramps threw her the keys.
Maria caught them with her mouth hanging open.
“We’ll meet you at the store,” he said. “There, we’ll discuss our next moves.”
I hope they’re dance moves. I need to burn off some of these calories, Sherlock said. You know what, for my next birthday, Maria, I wouldn’t mind getting a Fitbit so I can track all that stuff. Tell Gelbus to get on my back. I’ll carry him to the ice cream shop. I need the extra workout. Ooh, I’m gonna be such a ladies’ man. Can’t wait!
Maria looked down at the keys, ignoring Sherlock.
Gramps opened the driver’s side door of Joe’s Civic and got in. Through the windshield, he smiled at her.
He was actually letting her take the Firebird out on her own. As the Civic backed out with Frieda in the front seat, Salem and Agnes in the back, and Joe lying over their laps, Maria still couldn’t believe it. She watched for a long moment as the Civic’s taillights turned the corner at the end of the street.
“Pedal to the
